This disclosure is in the field of spray tanning and, more particularly, compositions intended for use after a spray tanning bronzer is applied.
Spray tanning is a form of lightless tanning, either sunless or not using ultraviolet lights. During spray tanning, a bronzer in the form of a fine mist containing dihydroxyacetone or DHA is sprayed onto an individual. The bronzer interacts with skin chemistry to turn the skin a bronze-like color. Until the bronzer dries or sets, the bronzer remains tacky or sticky and may adhere to unwanted skin areas clothes or other objects that the spray-tanned individual comes into contact with. The bronzer typically remains sticky for at least one or two hours after application and may become less sticky in a range of two to eight hours, but will always remain somewhat tacky during this process unless powder is applied. The bronzer typically requires a minimum of 8 hours to 10 hours to fully set. In an attempt to solve the sticky problem, various powders have been developed for application after spray tanning.
Prior to application to those areas of the body where powder is to be applied, the spray tan on those areas requires air drying with a fan or air from the spray tan gun for about 1 to 2 minutes (with the remaining areas of the body remaining sticky). For example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,974,773 B2 to Turmelle discloses a talc-based spray tan drying powder which is applied during the drying stage to “creases” where opposing skin surfaces may come into contact with one another such as creases (e.g. inside of the elbows, behind the knees, beneath bottom checks, under the arms). A commercial embodiment of this powder is marketed as TAN IN THE RAW™ powder. Another drying powder, CALIFORNIA TAN® powder is a corn starch-based spray tan drying powder that includes kaolin clay and coffee. These powders are very fine, are applied using a powder puff (in a blotting or pounding movement substantially normal to the wet skin surface) or spray bottle, and typically dissipate or absorb completely within one to two hours (at most) of application. Once the powder dissipates or absorbs, the bronzer remains sticky as it still sets, and the tanning odor returns.